Vacuum cut-off.



PTENTED JULY 9, 1907.

No. 859,323. l

G. P. MODONNELL.

VAGUUM GUT-'DFE'.

APPLIOATION FILED 311.29, 1904.

Unire' strass PATENT ernten.

rEORGE MCDONNELL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO I GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.l

VACUUM CUT-OFF.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9', 1907.

Application led April 29, 1904. Serial No. 295,622.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE P. MCDONNELL, a citizen of' the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Vacuum Cut-Offs, oi which the following is a full7 clear` and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the saine, reference being had'to the accompanying drawings, forming part' of' this specification, in which- Figure l is a sectional View through a work bench to which one form of my invention is applied; Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the work bench showing the application of the invention; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the bench to which the invention is applied, parts being broken away to show the tube connections; Fig. i is a side elevational view of the preferred form of tube closer; Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion of the flexible tube showing the position' of the bend when the tube is closed; Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of a modified form of tube closer; and Fig. '7 is a further modified form of tubecloser. i

This invention relates to an improved means for efficiently, conveniently and expeditiously cutting oft' communication between a vacuum pump or ex hauster and a Jo-operating part associated therewith.

The invention is applicable to use in connection with the manufacture of incandescent electric lamps and the accompanying drawings illustrate its application for this purpose.

The reference numeral l designates the top of a base or work bench and 2 refers to the front thereof. In practicing the manufacture of' incandescent electric lamps I prefer to employ two exhaust pumps so as to provide an initial exhaust for the air or gases in the bulb and a secondary exhausteri exerting a greater suction through the tube in communication with thc lamp bulb. In practice asingle operator conducts the manufacture of two lamps at the same time` While the air and gases are being exhausted from the bulb of one lamp the sealing of the other lamp can be effected. l have thtlefore illustrated appurtenances for-` conducting the manufacture of two lamps.

Suitably supported upon the base or work bench l are standards 3 and 4 connected at their upper extremities by the cross bar 5. The forwardly projecting hinged arms 6 and 7 are designed for the purpose of supporting the lamp and are held in proper position for easy manipulation by means of the torsional springs 8 and 9 respectively. The lamps are so supported upon the arms that the lead-in wires may contact between the plates l0 on the ends of the arms, said plates l0 cooperating with a suitable source of energy so that the lead-in wires'of the lamp complete the circuit and cause the lamp filament to be heated to incandescence.

The members designated by the reference numerals ll and '].I are in the form of sockets to receive the ends of the tubulatures 12. The sockets are on the ends of the tubes 13 each of which is. preferably connected to a coupling member 14 having a depending portion l5, the lower end of each coupling merging into a sediment-receiving receptacle 16 in axial alinement with the socket ll. Diametrically opposite projections or limbs of the coupling 14 communicate with flexible rubber tubes I7 and IS respectively communicating with the primary andV secondary exhausters (not shown). Inasmuch as each tubulature receiving socket is provided with a primary and secondary exhauster lI find it convenient to arrange the interme-v diate and adjacent flexible tubes so that they communicate with a single exhaust tube 19 in communicationA with the secondary pump. The primary tube p0rtions 20 and 2O*L for the respective lamps can be merged into a single tube and connected toa primary exhauster common to both tubes.

By reference to Figs. 2 and 3 it will be observed that the primary exhauster or pump can be closed with respect to either lamp bulb without affecting the other, and that the secondaryexhauster may also be closed to either lamp bulb without affecting the other. 4By arranging the tubular connections between the exhauster and the co-operating part (in the present instance, the tubulature s^cl` et), the closirig of any proportions of the tubes ci .Je effected independently of the remaining ones.

I have provided a novel means for cutting off communication between the exhauster and the tubulature socket which consists of' a iiexible tube which is rioncollapsible Linder action of the exhauster or pump but which tube is of a length in excess of the distance between the exhauster and the co-operating part.' The reason for providing the primary and secondary exhaust. tubes l7 and I8 .of each lamp of greater length than the distance between tlieexhauster and the co operating part is to permit a bend to be formed in the tube so as to cut oif communication with the exhauster. In actualpractice any number of bends may be made in the tube and under certain conditions a single bend in each tube will be sufficient due to theiact that the suction caused by the vacuum pump or vexhauster will have a tendency to assist in closing communication ,in the particular tube by bringing the inner walls 2l and` 22 of the bent portion oi the tube into intimate Contact with each otheriin whichpoistion they will be maintained partly through the action of the suction caused by the pump or pumps and partly bya mechanical device which assists in maintaining the bend temporarily. In actual practice, however, I prefer to form a loop intei-mediate the ends of each flexible tube, which loop will prefer-ab] y be provided with two bends 23 and 24 which can be contracted as indicated in Fig. 5 for closing communication .in the tube. One form oi the mechanical device for holding the loop in a collapsed condition is illustrated in Fig. 4 and is designated by the reference numeral 25. This device is What might be designated as a tube closer and it consists of an arm carried by an integral bracket portion 2G, the arm being of various depths to-orm shoulders 27 and 28 for cngagexnent by the tube when the tube -is contracted or expanded. The loop in the tube is preserved bya strap 29 which its over the adjacent portions of the tube as illustrated in Fig. .4. lf the tube possesses a suiicient amount of resiliency-to automatically expand as i Vsoon as it is released from engagement with the shoulyder 27 it will not be necessary to engage the intermediate portion 30 of the loop with the shoulder 28. As the tube becomes weakened at the bend or bends, how-v ever, the suction -in the'pipe caused by the exhauster or pump will have a ltendency to lmaintain intimate Contact between the inner walls of the tube at the bond or bends after the intermediate portion 30 is thrown out of conta/ct with the shoulder 27. In order to guard jection it has been found that under certaincorglijtions it is advisable to slip the portion 30 over the shbniieif'fZSso that the bend or bends in the loop Willbe rounded out as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5.v It will be apparent that by contracting the loop, or if al loop is notl employed, by providingr the bend, th'e suction of the pump will automatically close the tube as mentioned heretofore.

In Fig. 6 l have illustrated a slightlyv n'lodiliedA form of -tnbe closer 'vhieh comprises an arched portion 3l adapted to bo se ured to the front portion 2 o the bench, said arched portion carrying a jaw provided with a shoulder 32 against which the intermediate portion 3() of the tube will bear Iwhen the bend in the tube is collapsed. Apivoted lever 33 is provided for the purpose of releasing the intermediate portion 30 of the tube when it is desired, to open communication between the pump and its cfr-operating part or parts.

In Fig. 7 a still further modified form of vacuum cutoff is illustrated comprising an arched portion 34 or se y curing the tube to the bench and a spring-retained or yielding jaw 35 having a shoulder 36 for engagement With the portion 30 of the tube when it is desired to cut ofi communication with the exhnuster. The 11p-standing posts or pins 37 are for th e purpose of maintaining the portion 30 of the tube in proper position with relation to the'jaw 35.

It will be apparent that by providing a suction tube having a bendable portion an inexpensive, durable and een,

eiiicient means will be provided for cutting olii the hamster from one end of the lube.

ln order that the eozinccrlon bei. en the tubulature and the socket ll will be periecl., ah oil is aprt to the socket. The suction of the er Luster has tendency to draw the oil or other seannm lquid into the pipe 13 where it might 'ultimately und ite way into one of the flexible tubes. ln order to avoid this, however, l have provided the catch receptacle 15in axial alimentent with 'the socket ll so that oil or chemicals drawn lrorn the lamp will drop by gravity into the receptacle i6 to be subsequently' removed theref'rom occasion may demand.

I am aware that minor changes in the construction, arrangement and combination ol' the sei-'eral parte of my device can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described `without in the least departing .iroin the nature and principle ol my in venlion.

Having thus described the invention` what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. in an apparatus for exhausting gases from an electric lamp bulb. the combination with an exhausted and o `tlexl ble tube ln connectlon therewith, the tube having a sulr' stuntially circular loop. :nouns l'or keeping; the tube looped.- :xn upright bracket huvlnfc,y nu uxni extending; outwardly therefrom upon which the loop rests. und n shoulder on the arm for engagement with a portion o1 the loop to hold the same in :1 collapse, stufe, whereby communication may be cut off from the 'hauster and the lamp.

ln un apparatus for exhausting eases from un electric lump bulb. which consists of a suction tube hsv/lng means for connection with the bulb. zin exhauster also connected to said tube, n substantially circular loop in the tube ln- -termediare said bulb and exlluuster, en uprlght: bracket arranged adjacent said loop, having an arm extendlng outwardly rhcrefroir shoulders on the arm for alterna-Lely engaging the loop vwhereby the saine will be respectively held ln o State of collapse at opposite ends thereof, und prevented from collapsing.

3. ln an apparatus for exhaustingr elcctrlc lamp bulbs, the combinutlon with au exhsuster '1nd a flexible tube eonnnunlcalfng.' tbcrewlth, ol u collapsible loop ln the tube, means lor keeping the tube looped, an uprlght br :ken nn arm extending outwardly therefrom adjacent mlm loop, und a shoulder on the arm for engagement with the. loop for maintaining the saune tn u collupslble stale al the end ol the loop.

l. lu an apparatus for the described purpose. a pipe se cured to n support at two fixed polnts ln lts length, n loop between sold fixed polnts, und ineens carried by the sur port for rolnlninnj the plpe lu looped .eonflltlon :unl havlng :x shoulder for holding the loop ln a collapsed conillllon to effect u closure ln the plbe. I

ln testlznony whereof, l hereunto anni my signature, ln the presence of lu'o Witnesses, (his 26th day of April, i904.

- GEORGE l. MCDONNELI.. 

